Every now and then, a title comes along that somehow completely slips under the radar. It may have a brilliantly realized story, or a strong and diverse cast of likable characters, or just have that special something - and yet somehow, these are overlooked by the crowd. Such titles are often referred to as sleepers, due to the way people often don’t realise their quality until long after its initial release. Now and Then, Here and There is one such sleeper.

It starts off innocently enough. Shu is an energetic boy with a big heart and even bigger ideals, living his life one day at a time in a quiet little country town. Then one day, on his way back from kendo practice, he notices a girl sitting high atop a chimney stack. Allowing his curiosity to get the better of him, he climbs the adjoining stack and starts talking to the mysterious girl quietly watching the sunset. Naturally, it’s then that the baddies show up, appearing through a hole in the sky and riding large mechanical snakes, hell-bent on taking the girl back with them. Shu impulsively jumps to her defence, and is dragged with them back through the hole, into a far-flung world desert world where the sun fills the sky and water is so scarce that nations wage war over it.

That’s episode one in a nutshell. The remainder of this thirteen-episode series tells of Shu’s struggles as he tries to cope with life in this distant world of senseless killings and lost values, all the while clinging to his own principles and trying to maintain a positive attitude. “Don’t worry,” he tells fellow inmate Sara as she breaks down in their prison cell, “It’ll all be alright.” Except it won’t all be alright. Sara is dragged off by some guards, Lala-Ru is imprisoned in a tower, and Shu is conscripted into an army made up of boys no older than he is. This is dark, harsh stuff, exploring what drives people in extreme circumstances, and to what lengths they will go to ensure survival.

One of Now and Then’s strongest assets is its characters. From the optimistic Shu to the mad King Hamdo, the jaded Nabuca to the blindly loyal Abelia, each one is different and believable. They all have their own attitude to life, their own hopes, dreams, and flaws, and you can’t help but sympathize with them (King Hamdo is an exception; it’s been entirely too long since I’ve enjoyed despising someone so much).

Here’s the bad news; it’s unlikely to see a UK release, for two reasons. The first, more obvious reason is because it’s a sleeper – it’s not guaranteed to rake in the bucks, particularly when compared to other titles of similar length; secondly, because of the amount of harm to children, a particularly taboo topic with the censors. Most of the cast here are little more than thirteen or fourteen, and suffer all manner of ills, including beatings, torture, slavery - and worse (my argument against this would be that if Lord of the Flies and Battle Royale can get released, why shouldn’t this? But then the censors can be particularly funny about animation…). Still, the box set can be picked up pretty cheaply online, so it’s not too difficult to import.

In Summary

Now and Then, Here and There is a seminal series that manages to tick all the right boxes. Excellent characters, strong, emotional drama, and a mature, intelligent tale of the human spirit trying to overcome all obstacles and do what’s right, all add up to make one title that should not be overlooked an longer. Highly recommended.